The Matangi Island treehouse, one of the South Pacific's most unique lodging units, is really for any couples, not just newlyweds, who want to rekindle their romance in a wonderfully peaceful setting, where the staff pampers you like relatives at a reunion. Nestled 30 feet above ground in a South Pacific almond tree, this secluded aerie features a commanding view of the Tasman Straits, across gentle seas to Taveuni, where you can take day trips any time you wish. (See the first Fiji item in the resort directory for details on the many exciting side tours on Taveuni Island). With the ocean softly lapping below you, & tropical birds singing in the branches all around you, you're guaranteed to see your stress dissolve, then evanesce, like shave ice on a summer sidewalk.

At Matangi Island Resort, each of the 10 beautifully decorated bures (traditional South Pacific thatch-roofed cabins) features a queen-sized bed & a lounge area with a day bed, plus full bathroom with shower & vanity. There's a fully-stocked mini-bar & a coffee maker with Fijian-grown beans to savor, a ceiling fan & a cozy little net draped over the bed in a romantic canopy. The meals on Matangi Island are marvelous & this dive resort has an ample wine list to satisfy even picky palates. After all, Fiji diving trips are more than clunky tanks & regulators.

Teens older than 16 love Matangi Island Resort because there are acres of trees & hills to explore & the island is safe & secure for them -- no dangerous land critters, no sinkholes, no bad tropical bugs (neither viral nor the many-legged kind). There's zero malaria in Northeastern Fiji; another plus. With a few tips on steering clear of urchins & cone shells -- the obvious ocean bugaboos -- kids can snorkel safely in the lagoon when weather permits; & parents needn't worry a bit. In fact, the Matangi region of Fiji may be one of the South Pacific's most kid-friendly ocean sectors, with its gentle currents, warm clear water & plenty of healthful sunshine.

You'll be overwhelmed at first by the depth of service & kindness that Fijians show to all newcomers to Matangi Island Resort. These Melanesian South Pacific natives are among the world's most gracious hosts; it's part of their family-centered culture, bred into their temperaments from birth. They won't even take tips from you, since service is an honorable art to them, which gives them great pleasure & self-esteem. You will be spoiled out of your socks by the innocent culture of Fiji, & by this island, a very unique marine sanctuary.

Now for a bright spot in Fiji diving. There's a lot of ballyhoo in some diving magazines about Fiji diving being centered on Viti Levu, the big island. Balderdash. Baloney. Barnum & Bailey. Stay as far away from the touristy kitsch of that island as you can. Real Fiji diving is around the Taveuni-Matangi sector. The diving & snorkeling in Northeastern Fiji is widely acknowledged to be the best in the Fiji Islands, & one of the world's prime sectors for wildly colorful soft corals & hordes of reef fish. Matangi Island's own lagoon & environs are rich in corals & fish life, & the reefs are more protected, with less current than the Somosomo Straits usually offer. Your Matangi Island Resort dive guides know this sector like their own back yard, & they'll show you some underwater havens that few people ever are blessed to visit. Fiji diving at Matagi Island is like plunging into a kaleidoscope of Pacific Ocean vitality. Relaxing, easy, warm water with great viz: that's the gist of Matangi Island diving & snorkeling. And this is one of the prime nerve centers for excellent Fiji diving, our leaders on these South Pacific dive tours confirm.

With only 10 bures & a maximum of 24 guests, Matangi Island Resort never feels crowded or trampled by visitors. Among other water activities you can pursue after your Fiji diving or Fiji snorkeling are: windsurfing, paddle-boarding, Hobie-cat sailing, saltwater fly fishing, & picnic jaunts to thundering Bouma Falls on Taveuni. Local villagers each week perform a rousing meke -- traditional songs & folk dancing that will gladden your heart.

The peaceful & hospitable spirit of the Fijians is a balm to tired travelers. This pure & simple escape, the green trees, the flowers & their fresh scent, the perfect underwater grottoes, will weave their way into the fabric of your mind & your heart; & when you return home, you will always have a fresher outlook on what life can really be when the stress of the city is ignored for a brief shining moment in the old-fashioned South Pacific. Fiji changed our lives forever. You may be blessed the same way. Forget anxiety & regrets; dive right in. Dive trips to Matangi Island create a magic that lasts a lifetime. Just close your eyes at your desk, lean back, breathe deeply in -- & yes, you're back again. You made it. "Vinaka vaka levu, Fiji Islands" you will whisper. "Thank you, big time!"

EXCITING SIDE TOURS to the NEIGHBOR ISLAND of TAVEUNI: These DAY TRIPS are FUN, SAFE, EASY to PLAN & VIRTUALLY FREE of CHARGE ONCE YOU'VE PAID for the FERRY & a FEW SHORT CAB JAUNTS --

Before we dive into some fun tips for side tours while you're on Matangi Island, here is one important tip for travelers: the Fijian people are so gracious that they will not even accept tips from you. To tip would insult a Fijian, for whom TLC service is an art form, a duty in which one takes the highest pride in pleasing guests, not in how much money one takes home at the end of the day. That's the soul of the South Pacific for you. It's been a while in North America since folks felt that way about their work, eh? That's one of many reasons why we feel that Matangi Island Resort & side tours (day trips) to the sister island of Taveuni are an ideal way to spend a perfect South Pacific honeymoon. Taveuni side trips, easily accomplished by taking the daily ferry from Matangi to the north end of Taveuni island, have a way of healing some pretty stressed-out people, we have seen over the years.

How could we ever list all the cool things about Taveuni without verging on hyperbole? Here's one fun factoid: you can walk a mere hundred meters down the village lane & you reach a concrete marker that you can straddle -- where your right foot is planted in Wednesday while your left foot actually is back in Tuesday! No kidding. This is the 180th parallel, where the world's geographic new day really begins!

A big plus for families who bring small kids is this: the local village ladies, who are sweet as Tupelo honey, will "nanny" your kids for half a day or more, for only a few dollars an hour. It would take an encyclopedia to list everything we love about Taveuni, but we'll start here & now with the Reader's Digest version.

After traveling the oceans of the world for decades, members of the Jacques Cousteau clan bought vacation land just across the channel from here. Taveuni Island is a place that, unless you have a heart of granite, will leave a magical mark on you forever. Northeastern Fiji is the unplucked pearl of the South Pacific. So where IS Taveuni, you ask?

Now back to the land. Fiji is safe & clean. There is absolutely zero malaria, no dangerous land insects or critters, no political unrest -- unlike other prime coral-reef regions in the South Pacific tropics such as the Solomon Islands & Papua New Guinea.

But there's something more; something exotic on Taveuni Island -- the back-country side tours. You can do most of these on your own, for the mere cost of a cabby & park entry fees.

For example, you can hike about 25 minutes from the lodge out to the Waitavala Waterslide, a modestly steep stream bed that forms a natural "body bobsled" chute several hundred meters long. This waterslide careens down a hillside, & you zip down its mossy stream bed, laying on your back, feet first. You can whizz down the slide about 15 mph, no bumps & no bruises, then you spill out perfectly safe & laughing hysterically, into a cool pool at the bottom of a small cascade. It's outstanding fun! This waterslide, & much of Taveuni island, were featured in the film "Return to the Blue Lagoon."

Another day you can hire a cab to towering Bouma Falls, then spend half a day hiking up to see the three tiers of this magnificent waterfall, which are interspersed along 4 miles of challenging jungle trails. Each tier is 50-80 feet high, with thundering volumes of water & clear deep pools below, perfect for swimming & swan diving off the rocks. Oddly beautiful purple-velvet-covered freshwater crabs glide along windfall trunks at river's edge. Exotic birds flit through the tree canopies: red & green parrots, flaming orange doves, mischievous magpies. This Bouma Falls hike is peaceful, clean & serene -- pure joy.

You also might want to spend one afternoon visiting quiet little Lavena Village, where after securing permission from the chief, you may take photos of the spunky children & their sweet games with primitive stick toys. You'll see many traditional huts called "bures," & you'll have to politely fend off a myriad invitations to dine or drink kava with families all over the village. These folks are so kind & caring they'd adopt you in a wink if you let them. There is no equivalent in North America to the ingenuous hospitality of the Fijian people. They will enchant you, pure & simple.

Near Lavena Village on Taveuni, you'll want to hike these ancient South Pacific beaches searching for perfect specimens among thousands of rare & bizarrely shaped seashells that are tossed ashore every day by new tides. (To respect the island's ecosystem, we recommend you don't remove any shells; just photograph them.) Days like this produce memories of natural wonders & warm native souls that travelers will treasure for a lifetime. The Fijian people are so sweet-spirited & giving that their hospitality & humor will refresh even the most stressed-out city folks. Their laughter is musical, almost healing. You'll see.

On another great Taveuni island day trip, you can rent a Jeep or take a taxi to the trailhead, then spend an entire day hiking up a long & semi-strenuous jungle trail, replete with slippery rocks, gnarled roots, & knotted vines to grab ahold of, as you climb towards the summit of Des Voeux Peak, nearly 4,000 feet above sea level. Nestled below the pinnacle is Taveuni's most famous geographic landmark -- Lake Tagimaucia, a deep body of pristine water that fills an ancient volcano crater, similar to hidden mountain lakes in Guatemala.

Lake Tagimaucia is filled with floating masses of lush vegetation & is home to Fiji's most prized flower, the "tagimaucia." This huge tagimaucia blossom, which can be as big as a bowling ball, is bright red with a white center. The Lake Tagimaucia trail is often muddy & challenging, so clients are advised to wear battered old tennies or lightweight boots. If time & weather permit, some members of the party may try for a closer approach to the summit, for some spectacular views of Taveuni island from one of the highest points in all of Fiji.

A special bonus on many Lake Tagimaucia hikes is some of the finest bird-watching in Fiji. Two beautiful species that exist nowhere else on Earth -- the Orange-Breasted Dove & the Silktail -- flit about in the verdant jungle that rims this awe-inspiring lake.(Please feel free to phone our USA office any time, for prices & info: 952-953-4124.)

Click photo to enlarge.

For prices & more info, call John, Susan or L.J. at 952-953-4124.For more details on Matangi Private Island Resort,click here.